Mambrino students were thrilled with performances of a children’s opera on January 26, 2012, with the presentation possible through a grant from Target department stores' foundation.

The Children’s Opera Theatre presented The Bremen Town Musicians, featuring the music of Offenbach, Rossini, Donizettie, and Verdi in a Brothers Grimm story about General Boom the Donkey forming a band using outcast farm animals as musicians.  The play featured Logan Rucker, a 2003 graduate of Granbury High School.

The 45-minute performances were followed by question and answer sessions, which gave students an opportunity to ask questions about opera, singing, costumes, sets, props, and other interesting topics.

“Our students and teachers learned a lot about the form of opera and about the training and hard work that the singers go through to be able to sing with an operatic voice. The question and answer period following the opera was a great experience for the students. They asked some really good questions and learned a lot from the performers,” commented music teacher Bonnie Oates, who wrote the grant application.

This marked the third year for the school to receive the grant to fund the performance by the Children’s Opera Theatre, which is a subsidiary program of Fort Worth Opera to educate school-aged children about music and opera.  Each year, the program produces two different children’s operas and performs them in schools across the state.

 “At Target, our local grants are making a difference in the communities we serve,” said Laysha Ward, the company's community relations president.  “We’re proud to partner with Mambrino School as part of our ongoing commitment to give back to the communities where our guests and team members live and work.”

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation has more than 1,600 stores nationwide.  Since opening its doors, the company has given five percent of its income to organizations that support education, the arts, social services, and volunteerism.  Today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week.